Martin Bakole


Martin Bakole Ilunga is a Congolese professional boxer. He has challenged once for the WBO interim heavyweight title in February 2025. He is the younger brother of former cruiserweight boxing world champion, Ilunga Makabu.

Professional career

Bakole made his professional debut on 25 March 2014, scoring a second-round technical knockout victory over Cecil Smith at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa.
After compiling a record of 9–0, he faced undefeated Ali Baghouz on 11 November 2017 at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, with the vacant IBO Continental heavyweight title on the line. Bakole captured the vacant title via first-round knockout. He successfully defended the title in his next fight with a first-round TKO against DL Jones on 23 June 2018 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow.
He next fought former Olympian and cruiserweight world title challenger Michael Hunter for the vacant IBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title on 13 October 2018 at the York Hall, London. Bakole lost the fight via tenth-round TKO. The first few rounds were evenly contested with Bakole walking his American opponent down while Hunter remained on the back foot, utilising movement and picking his moments to throw combinations. From round four and onwards, Hunter began to make an impression with his ring movement and speedy combinations. Towards the end of the seventh, Bakole landed a powerful right hand that stunned Hunter, causing the former cruiserweight to hold in the clinch. Hunter, now looking fatigued and suffering a cut to the right eye, had his mouth piece knocked out in the eighth by a clean right hand. After injuring his right shoulder in the eighth, Bakole was reluctant to throw the right hand in the ninth, instead choosing to work behind the jab. The end came in the tenth and final round; with Hunter landing powerful shots with more frequency, a left hook sent Bakole stumbling – not for the first time during the round – towards the corner. After a barrage of unanswered punches, referee Phil Edwards waved off the fight with 41 seconds of the round remaining, handing Bakole the first defeat of his professional career.
Following his loss to Hunter, Bakole fought former heavyweight world title challenger Mariusz Wach on 6 April 2019 at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland, with the vacant Republic of Poland International heavyweight title up for grabs. Bakole won the fight via eighth-round TKO in a scheduled ten-round bout. The first-round saw Wach boxing in a defensive manner, staying at range behind the jab and looking to counter-punch. The next few rounds saw Bakole take the lead. Throwing heavy combination punches to the head of his Polish opponent. Towards the end of the fifth, Bakole landed several punches to his opponent's head, leaving Wach on unsteady legs as he walked back to his corner. Wach attempted to rally back in the sixth-round, having success as Bakole's pace slowed. Bakole came back in the seventh to repeat his performance of previous rounds, putting together combinations and landing punches to the head of Wach. The end came in the eighth when referee Robert Gortat waved off the fight after Wach was on the receiving end of a flurry of twelve unanswered punches.
Following a first-round TKO win over Ytalo Perea in August, Bakole was scheduled to face Gabriel Enguema on 19 October 2019 at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle. Days before the fight, Enguema withdrew from the bout due to an injury. Former world title challenger Kevin Johnson stepped in at short notice. In what was a one-sided affair, Bakole won by fifth-round TKO in a scheduled eight-round bout after referee Ron Kearney waved off the fight following Johnson being on the receiving end of several unanswered punches, handing the durable veteran boxer the third stoppage defeat of his career.
In the January 2024 ranking published by the World Boxing Association, Bakole was the world number one ranked heavyweight.
Bakole was scheduled to face Jared Anderson at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on August 3, 2024. Bakole won the fight by TKO in the fifth round. Bakole won the WBO International and the vacant WBO-NABO heavyweight titles in his victory.
Bakole faced Joseph Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 22, 2025, taking the fight on just two days notice as a replacement for Daniel Dubois. He lost the fight by a second round TKO.

Personal life

In 2016, Bakole relocated to Greengairs where he is coached by Billy Nelson.
His first child, a son named Martin Jr, was born in 2020.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
24DrawEfe Ajagba103 May 2025Anb Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
23Loss21–2Joseph ParkerTKO2 2:1522 Feb 2025Anb Arena Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFor WBO interim heavyweight title
22Win21–1Jared AndersonKO5 2:073 Aug 2024BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Won WBO International and vacant WBC-NABF heavyweight titles
21Win20–1Carlos TakamTKO4, 2:1528 Oct 2023Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
20Win19–1Ihor ShevadzutskyiTKO3, 0:4522 Apr 2023G2A Arena, Rzeszów, Poland
19Win18–1Tony Yoka1014 May 2022Accor Arena, Paris, France
18Win17–1Haruna OsumanuKO1, 2:5018 Sep 2021Dubai Sports City, Dubai, UAE
17Win16–1Sergey Kuzmin1012 Dec 2020The SSE Arena, London, EnglandWon vacant WBC International heavyweight title
16Win15–1Rodney HernandezTKO2, 2:502 Nov 2019Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
15Win14–1Kevin JohnsonTKO5, 0:5819 Oct 2019Utilita Arena, Newcastle, England
14Win13–1Ytalo PereaTKO1, 1:202 Aug 2019Exhibition Centre Liverpool, Liverpool, England
13Win12–1Mariusz WachTKO8, 2:266 Apr 2019Spodek, Katowice, PolandWon vacant Republic of Poland International heavyweight title
12Loss11–1Michael HunterTKO10, 2:1913 Oct 2018York Hall, London, EnglandFor vacant IBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title
11Win11–0DL JonesTKO1, 1:0223 Jun 2018The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, ScotlandRetained IBO Continental heavyweight title
10Win10–0Ali BaghouzKO1, 2:2311 Nov 2017Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, ScotlandWon vacant IBO Continental heavyweight title
9Win9–0Kamil SokolowskiPTS67 Oct 2017York Hall, London, England
8Win8–0Dominic AkinladeTKO1, 1:5629 Jul 2017Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester, England
7Win7–0Tomas MrazekTKO3, 1:321 Oct 2016Bellahouston Leisure Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
6Win6–0Lukasz Rusiewicz412 Aug 2016Village Hotel, Ashton-under-Lyne, England
5Win5–0Patrick MadzingaTKO1 12 Dec 2015Olive Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa
4Win4–0Ferenc Zsalek45 Dec 2014Centre Sportif Obercorn, Differdange, Luxembourg
3Win3–0Lukas Filka1, 2:558 Nov 2014Hall Omnisport de La Préalle, Herstal, Belgium
2Win2–0Chris MbomboTKO2 23 Apr 2014Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa
1Win1–0Cecil Smith2 25 Mar 2014Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa